Brockswood Dog Run

05/08/2024

Amber and Arlo had so much fun in the dog run!

They loved sniffing around taking in all the scents from the other dogs and chasing after the toys. They definitely left tired but happy!

04/07/2024

All mowed and ready for your next run! 🐶

18/03/2024

Following discussions with our insurance company, we're pleased to be able to welcome your XL Bully dogs to the dog run! As Brockswood is a public place, your dogs will need to be muzzled and kept on a lead outside of the run, but once inside the Secure Dog Run area, you are very welcome to remove these and let them enjoy the freedom to run, play and just be dogs, safe and secure.

We are only insured to continue to offer this service to you as long as we have seen a copy of your insurance so please be ready to show us this on arrival. Thank you for your kind cooperation and for allowing us to continue to offer this service!

As always, your well-behaved dogs will be welcome to visit the sanctuary too, again as we are a public place, simply treat us as you would a walk anywhere else with your big softies (no need to show us your insurance for these visits).

We appreciate your patience while we were working to resolve this issue, and we look forward to welcoming you and your furry companions soon. 🐾

🐶🐾

20/01/2024

Just to reassure those of you using our dog run that this is still open if you’ve booked your lovely waggy pals in for a run today. We’ve arrived to find a large block of ice in place of a water bowl so are currently thawing this out and working on getting our tap working for you! ❄️

Wrap up warm and take care 🥰🐾

06/01/2024

We would like to say an enormous thank you to Stourbridge lawn tennis and squash club for their donation of tennis balls for our dog run.

As many of you know we have various toys down the dog run for all of you to enjoy with your dogs during your visits and tennis balls are one of the most popular, so we know these will be very much appreciated. It was such a lovely surprise and we are so very grateful!

08/09/2023

Meet Blossom….

This beautiful little lady has been visiting our dog run very regularly because she’s learning to do the very important job of being a guide dog!

Not only has Blossom been doing some training down our dog run, she’s also going to go around the farm to meet some of our rescued residents so she can get used to different types of animals, all part of her training.

We’re sure you’ll join us in wishing Blossom the very best in her training, we’re sure she’s going to do amazingly!

10/06/2023

Ben, our Brockswood rescue dog loves his doggy icecream, especially in this hot weather! Now available in cool mint as well as vanilla, we’d love to see some photos of your dogs enjoying theirs 🍦

We’d also like to remind you that as it’s so warm if you’ve booked the run and are worried about it being too hot, please don’t sweat it (excuse the pun 🥵), as a sanctuary, your dog’s welfare will always come first for us and if you are worried and want to cancel and swap for a cooler day, just let us know and we’ll be happy to sort this for you. You are welcome to use the cold water tap in the run - it’s there for you! and there is lots of natural shade at the back provided by our tall poplar trees, but only you can know your dog, and what will be best for them. We want you and your waggy friends to be happy and safe together 💚

21/05/2023

Extended opening hours! We’re pleased to announce that as of next week we’ll be opening a little earlier and staying open a little later, from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. We throughly recommend those first two slots to those of you who are able to come along in the morning and don’t like visiting during our sanctuary opening hours 😊 it’s also a lovely time time to really enjoy that walk through the woodland trail down to the run, with the birds singing in the trees - such a peaceful time here at the sanctuary!

Those of you who like to book more than one slot at once (thank you!), you’ll be pleased to hear we’ve also created the ability to book several at once rather than having to go through the whole booking process over and over again. We hope you like this new feature 🐶

Thank you so much for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you all soon. Woofs and licks 💚

19/05/2023

A lot of people have been asking about our dog run and what it’s like, so we thought we would do a quick video this morning to show you around (for those that haven’t visited yet).

We have a double gated system for extra security, we also have a nice shelter tucked away in the corner for you to sit out of any rain but still be able to play and see your dogs having fun.

We also provide a variety of toys, as seen in the toy box, for your dogs to enjoy, along with poo bags and a dog first aid kit (because it’s always better to be safe). We also have fresh running water so your dogs can enjoy a nice cold drink whilst down there.

There’s also some long grass areas for those dogs that like running through and having a good sniff too!

If anyone has any for their questions about our run please feel free to give us a message, or you can find out more on our website:

https://www.brockswood.org.uk/dogrun

06/05/2023

Bella had a lovely run in our dog run a few days ago and even went for a little walk around the farm to meet our rescued residents. Nimbus seemed to love her. We love seeing all your photos of your dogs enjoying themselves on their visit to us

04/05/2023

We had Freddie visit the dog run this afternoon for a run around, he loved it and it’s safe to say he was very tired by the time he got home. Just take a look at these lovely photos of him enjoying himself

20/04/2023

Nellie visited the dog run for the first time and had so much fun, just take a look at that happy face!

18/04/2023

We love getting positive feedback from all our our dog run users, and we recently had a lovely message about our dog run from the owner of this beautiful 6 month old cocker spaniel. This little one enjoyed a lovely run around and spent the afternoon flat out asleep after all the fun!

02/04/2023

We’re very happy to announce that as of tomorrow we’ll be back open every day! Thank you so much for your patience as we have been resting the paddock over the winter season. We have our fingers and paws crossed for some more lovely dry days now so that you can really enjoy your runs together (and the grass will certainly appreciate a bit of sun too!)

See you soon 🐾

20/03/2023

We love receiving photos and videos of your dogs in the dog run and seeing how much fun they’re having!

04/02/2023

Lenny the Labrador had a lovely run in the dog run this morning, playing his favourite game of fetch with the tennis ball. Its safe to say he’s a very tired but happy boy!

11/11/2022

We have been contacted by the Casting Producer for Avalon UK Productions to let you know about "Dogs Behaving Very Badly", a programme they a currently making for Channel 5. In this series, master dog trainer Graeme Hall offers his years of experience to dog owners who need help with behavioural issues.

Series 5 casting is well underway, and they are specifically looking for puppies ages between 10 and 20 weeks who may fit the bill!

Do you know any cheeky puppies? 🐶

03/11/2022

We saw this on the One Voice for Animals UK page and simply had to share it. After meeting so many of your dogs and hearing their stories, getting to know their personalities and backgrounds, we’ve seen the whole spectrum - confident dogs full of excitement, ready for whatever life throws at them next, and the sensitive reactive dogs you try so hard to make the world a little less daunting for. This is for you ❤️

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A REACTIVE DOG

Hello. I’m a reactive dog. People call me ‘reactive’ because I sometimes bark, growl and lunge towards other dogs, people, cats, cars – some of those things, or all of them.
‘Reactive’ is a label though and I would like you to understand what it’s really like to be ‘reactive’ and how I actually feel when I ‘react’.
If you are a ‘reactive’ dog, certain things, taken for granted by other dogs – such as a simple walk in the park or a trip to a dog show, become a bit more complicated. While I would love to be able to investigate all the fantastic smells in the park, or have a great time in a training class, scoffing off some yummy treats and exercising my brain cells, life for me is sadly full of anxiety and fear, and instead of enjoying these events, I am constantly on edge.
Why, you might want to ask? Can’t you just, like, get over it?

Nothing ever happens to you when you are out, why get yourself so worked up?
The problem is, ‘getting over it’ is not that simple. My anxiety and fear stem from many things – I might not have been socialised properly when young, or I might have had a bad experience. That means that certain things (other dogs, small children, load noises, people coming up to say hello) fill me with anxiety, fear or sometimes even panic. In many of those situations, if I could, I would probably run away, but many a time I can’t as I’m attached to a lead or cornered (like when another dog comes up to me and doesn’t want to leave me alone). But what sometimes works to make scary things go away is barking and growling at them – even bouncy dogs eventually get it. And while I might not look pretty or friendly when I growl and bark and lunge – hey! It works to get me out of a sticky situation and makes me feel safe again.

It’s not easy to feel scared every time I leave the house, and it’s not nice to see my owner tensing up or upset every time I feel I need to react. People shout abuse at me sometimes, ask my owner to muzzle me or even never walk me. But frankly, I don’t mean anyone any harm, I just want to be left alone. My owner works so hard to convince me that life isn’t all that scary after all – she feeds me yummy treats when a scary things approaches, she keeps me safe by helping me move out of the way rather than walk towards what is bound to upset me, she really, really tries, and I am slowly learning to trust things that used to freak me out loads.
But every now and then, just when I start thinking that maybe other dogs, people, cars etc. aren’t that scary after all, someone or something comes up a bit too close and my old fears come back – and all I can do is panic and scream (that is bark, growl and lunge) to make them go away.

So next time you see one of us – reactive dogs – out and about, please please – don’t judge. Don’t shout abuse at my owner who is trying all she can to make me feel safe. If you’re asked to call your dog away, please do, and don’t ask questions or claim your dog can do no harm as he’s friendly (to us, reactive dogs, that’s sometimes even worse!). Don’t let your children stroke us unless our owner says it’s fine. Just give us a bit of space so we can be on our way.

Thank you so much!

02/11/2022

As you may have seen on our main page, we have sadly had to make the decision to temporarily halt doggy visits to the animals while we are on Avian Influenza high alert, as we cannot ask them to dip their delicate paws in our anti-viral disinfectant. Don't worry, the Dog Run remains open as this is far away from all of our rescued residents and you will still be able to enjoy your off-lead runs as usual.

Thank you for your understanding at this time 🐾

As many of you will have seen, the Government have increased the restrictions in place while we are in an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone and we are now in “Flockdown”, which means that further measures must be implemented to keep our rescued bird residents safe, especially as Bird Flu cases have been confirmed in our local area – a very worrying time for us here at the sanctuary.

Our team are using disinfectant foot dips to decrease the risk of the virus being carried in on footwear and we will now ask that you also use one of our foot dips/mats to further help us during your visit as well – unfortunately, we cannot ask dogs to dip their delicate paws in disinfectant, and so we will have to temporarily stop them from visiting the animals.

We pride ourselves on being a 100% Dog-Friendly organisation and this is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we simply cannot risk the lives of our birds and must put their safety first.

Your dogs will still be very welcome to use our Brockswood Dog Run which currently remains open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the autumn season, as this is well away from our bird residents. We’re hoping to be able to welcome them back to the rest of the sanctuary as soon as we can.

We thank you for your continued support and cooperation at this worrying time.

We have started to pop together a dedicated page on our website with further information about what we are doing which we will update as things progress. If you have any questions that we haven’t covered, please do ask us and we will be happy to answer them! www.brockswood.org.uk/AvianFlu

For the latest up-to-date information about Bird Flu and what you need to do if you keep birds yourself, please see the Government website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu

12/10/2022

We recently had a group of German shepherds visit our dog run and they had the best time! We love seeing all the photos of your dogs enjoying our dog run and we just had to share these with you all. Just look at those gorgeous, happy faces!

It’s always great to hear the lovely feedback from you and we can’t wait to see this group back for another play session!

03/09/2022

Thank you to the lovely people (and kind pooches) who donate toys for the dogs using our run! This is our latest donation heading to the toy box 🎾
We’re so grateful for this community spirit amongst the people supporting our sanctuary run and hope your dogs enjoy making use of the toys when they forget their favourite or have to leave it behind at home 🐾

16/07/2022

We have made the decision to CLOSE on Monday and Tuesday next week. With the temperature set to reach such high numbers in this part of the country, we can’t in good conscience allow anybody to walk/run their dogs here in this heat! Maybe you can find some novel ways of cooling off together and still enjoy your together time - we’d love to hear your tips and tricks if you have any! Or maybe your dogs prefer some alone time when they’re hot - we know we can sometimes 🥵

We are staying open over the weekend and leaving the decision up to you as the temperatures fluctuate. You know your dogs, you know if they will push themselves too hard in the sun or if they’ll just enjoy their off-lead time at a more relaxed pace. As always, please make use of that tap/hose pipe!

If you do have a booking and want to cancel or reschedule, we will completely understand - the welfare of your dogs is our top priority 🐾

Take care and we’ll see you soon 🎾

12/07/2022

We do have lots of natural shade at the back of our run provided by our trees and a cold water tap for your use, but with the temperatures soaring, we do completely understand if you don’t feel comfortable walking your dogs in this heat. If you have made a booking and want to change your day/cancel due to the heat, do feel free to drop us a message and we’ll be very happy to swap to another day or refund if you prefer. As an animal sanctuary, responsible animal care is absolutely paramount to us - we care about your waggy friends, so we won’t have any problem with this at all 💚

See you soon 🐾

04/07/2022

Such an important message. Spending quality time with your dog is SO important. You are everything to these wonderful animals and while your whole life might not revolve around them, you are their world, so make that time count! Whether that time is spent playing, training, exploring new places, or just relaxing together - enjoy that special time together because it means so much to them (and hopefully you!). We’re so happy to see you spending that quality time together here with us and that we can be a part of that, thank you 🐾

This is a message that we can echo with each of our own residents here at the sanctuary. These wonderful animals have become family to us and it is just as important that they enjoy these positive moments with us. As a sanctuary, and with their varied backgrounds, conditions and life stages, we don’t always know how long our time together will be, so this is especially important to us to make each day count. Thank you for supporting us and helping us to do this 💜

02/07/2022

The lovely Misty recently enjoyed her first trip to the dog run and also met our residents as well - don’t forget that well behaved dogs on leads are always welcome to visit the sanctuary and there is absolutely no cost for their visit (your entry costs just £3.95 and every penny will go back into caring for the animals and renovating the site), so as well as your off-lead fun in the paddock, you can also extend your visit to meet the animals too. It’s a great opportunity for socialisation with other animals, and getting them used to seeing animals such as our rescued sheep in a controlled way. This is something we’re so passionate about with so many stories each year of livestock attacks and sheep worrying - our residents are very used to seeing your waggy friends and it’s a good starting point for gentle, controlled introductions 💚

12/06/2022

We’re so lucky to meet so many wonderful dogs (and their humans!) here using our safe space and visiting our residents. Some of these dogs have such special stories. One that has recently touched our heart is the lovely Kadisha, a rescue dog from Cyprus 🇨🇾

Har mom was abandoned, heavily pregnant, and gave birth to 10 little sausages in the middle of a field during the coldest days of our winter. A lady was walking her dog close by and stumbled across two tiny puppies only a couple weeks old. Looking around she discovered that there were not just 2 but 10 pups with their mom, Kathryn. If they hadn't been found that day, the pups would most certainly not be alive. Under the extreme weather conditions we had this winter they would have frozen to death in the next few days.

Fast forward ⏩ 4 months later and she is in foster care here in Dudley. Julie who has taken her into her heart and home while she is looking for her forever home says, “She’s a very special girl, extremely quick to learn. Extremely loving and needs a very active home and a job to do. Something like agility Mantrailing; something that's going to focus her mind - she needs lots of mental stimulation.”

Kadisha is now looking for her Forever Home!

❣️Apply if❣️

✅If you love outdoor adventures and looking for a best friend to create memories together,
✅Love spending time with your furry friend teaching them new tricks and shaping their minds
✅You have a big sofa to share with a big doggie
✅Fully secure garden with 6ft fencing
✅No children under 5

Homecheck and adoption fee Apply.

https://staradopt.org/dogs/?dog=2466&fs=e&s=cl

05/05/2022

Following your feedbark, we've introduced a Brand New slot for some of our special dogs who may be a little more nervous/reactive and need their "me" time to be just that; me time. There will be a slot every day at 4:30pm which means you won't cross paths with another dog and this is also after our visitors have left. Perfect for those dogs (and people!) who prefer their own company and the peace and quiet of the sanctuary after hours.

We hope you'll enjoy this and ask that people will save this slot for the people/dogs who really need it. If this is useful to you, please let us know, and how we can make further improvements in the future so that you and your waggy family can keep enjoying your visits with us 🐾

29/04/2022

Thank you to all of you lovely dogs and their humans for your patience as you waited for us to install our fresh water tap in the run, and for helping raise the funds to do so - entirely from your visits! With the weather starting to pick up again and the temperatures rising, we're so pleased that you now can have complete control over providing as much fresh, cool water for your dogs as you need. This should also help during the wetter weather when you might need to hose down those muddy boots or paws.

Thank you so much for pawsitive feedback and helping us to make these improvements! 🐾

13/04/2022

We have been approached by the makers of Channel 4's The Dog House as they have begun their search for individuals, friends, couples and families who could offer a rescue dog a loving home and share their story with them as part of their next series. They wondered if any of our lovely dog community might be interested in bringing a rescue dog into their lives?

The Dog House is set at the animal charity Woodgreen Pets Charity. The programme follows prospective owners as they are matched with a rescue dog, specially selected by the expert team of matchmakers at the charity.

They’re casting their net far and wide to find potential dog rescuers and want to hear from anyone who is seriously considering rescuing a dog and up for talking to them about why they need a dog in their life.

The link to apply is here: https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/takepart/the-dog-house

29/03/2022

With the weather starting to improve, the mud starting to dry, and the grass growing back again, a lot of you have asked us if we will re-open the dog run throughout the week now that spring is here, so we have decided to return to a daily opening from the 9th when we re-open the sanctuary to visitors! We can't thank you enough for all of your support this year. This will be our first full year of the dog run being open and you have made it such an enormous success, through rain, shine... and mud!!

It brings us such enormous pleasure to meet you and your waggy friends, learn their names and hear their stories, and we can't wait to see more of you.

See you soon 🐾